Fifty Ways to Say 'I Love You'
by SpaceRoses
Summary: Love isn't always in grand gestures...but rather in the little things that people do for each other without expecting rewards. Fifty Zutara Zuko/Katara drabbles. Other pairings may be coming in the future. No Slash.


001: Superstition

**Disclaimer:** Avatar the Last Airbender and all associated characters belong to Mike, Byran, Nickelodeon, and anyone else involved in the creation of the show. I own nothing….not even an action figure from the show…so don't sue me!

**Author's Note:** This might be the first of a collection of fifty drabbles for my Avatar pairings…or it might not. Depends on what I decide to do. For the meantime this is fifty Zutara drabbles, all taking part at different times in the show (or AUs or after canon timeline). I do also make mention of Maiko and Kantaang…however I don't mean them in any insulting ways nor will I tolerate either other Zutaraians bashing those two pairings or shippers of that pairing bashing –me-. Let's all play nice.

Drabbles #4, #22, and #24 are all in AU universes so be warned that they don't follow canon timelines.

That's about all, read, enjoy and review! Thanks!

001: Superstition  
Sokka didn't believe in the old fortune teller but because Katara had nothing left to believe in she clung to the cryptic worlds, "You will have a great romance with a powerful bender."

002: Tactile  
The little girl reached up, brushing light fingers over his scar. Zuko winced as his daughter slowly felt his scar before touching her own face, looking for a similar mark. When she couldn't find one she frowned and felt his face again. The soft touch was soothing though, innocent eyes and fingers seeming to wipe away the shame behind the mark.

003: Shame  
His fingers brushed against the rough skin of his scar as her words washed over him. In the eerie green light of the cavern he sighed, "My face. I see."

004: Endless Sorrow  
She had finally decided it. The greatest loss hadn't been that Zuko had died in the final battle. The greatest loss was that she had never forgiven him, never tried to get to know him, until it was almost too late to make a difference. Would he have held on longer if he had known that one person cared? Would he still be alive if she had swallowed her pride sooner and held out her hand in friendship? Even now, years later, she still grieved for the boy who had died...and the friend that he could have been.

005: Threat  
That scar haunted her dreams, the mark a symbol of the enemy that doggedly persuaded them. She stayed alert for the incriminating mark, even going so far as the drag Aang away from any man she saw who bore a scar around his eye, determined that he wouldn't catch her off-guard. That scar, surely gotten while doing something cruel and heartless, was what separated -him- from -them-. Separated good from evil.

006: Sacrifice  
In the long run he had decided that it was worth it. It had made her happy...that was what had made it worth it. Still...he knew that he would be taking flack for it from Sokka...a lot of it. Still Zuko felt no embarrassment when he came into the main room of Katara's family home in the South Pole dressed in the traditional clothes, complete with the warrior's ponytail. It had made Katara happy...that was why he wasn't embarrassed.

007: Hands of Fate  
They had never had a chance to control their own destinies. They had been destined to fall in love despite the war that consumed both of them...and they had been destined to be torn apart by death. It was a cycle that would repeat endlessly through the centuries...until Oma and Shu found two lovers strong enough to defy the pattern.

008: Fingertips  
She lightly traced the lines on his palm, studying the small scars left from Fire Bending and the calluses from the duel swords that he wielded as he sighed, enjoying her light touch.

009: Stare  
She was a pretty girl and the boys in the villages they passed through would notice that fact. Their staring would be unabashed and unashamed...until the scarred boy came to her side and met their leers with a glare.

010: On My Mind  
Mai was supposed to be the one he was thinking about...she was his girlfriend after all. Except that even when he had been with her for some reason Mai could never stay in the forefront. Other girls he had known would sneak in, taking her place in his mind's eye. The most common girl was the Water Bender, the one with passion for everything she did, whether it was protecting the Avatar or merely talking with another person, and enough spirit for three women. Then he would blink and turn his attention to the flat, emotionless grey eyes next to him and sigh. No wonder Katara kept sneaking back in...

011: Puppy Love  
She had had two great loves in her life and they were as different as night and day. Aang was sweet, gentle and kind...and their love had been as short lived as a summer rain storm. Zuko was angry, rude and harsh...and their love never died but instead grew stronger with every passing day.

012: Impulse  
She leaned toward him, holding out the bowl of soup. Suddenly he reached forward, placing a surprisingly gentle hand on her shoulder, and kissed her square on the lips. He could feel the others gawking at them and at the back of his mind he felt mild surprise that his head wasn't aching from a water whip yet...but the moment had been too perfect and he hadn't been able to pass it up.

013: Afterlife  
They were old now, in the sunset of their lives, and far beyond the years where they were the ones having adventures and changing the world but that was all right. They weren't fading alone and that was all that mattered.

014: Daybreak  
The comet's passing left the evening sky blood red, a sign of the destruction that could have been wrought on the world, and he reached for her hand. They could both feel it in the air...with the comet gone everything was re-born somehow.

015: Jagged  
She placed a hand on the scar on his chest, a meditative expression on her face. "Everything is going to change after this...isn't it Zuko?" She asked softly.

016: Haunted  
His rest would never be soothing for him but instead disturbed by nightmares of lying sisters and cruel fathers. She would pass by his room and pause, a part of her heart softening toward the scarred prince and she would wonder again if she had had more time in Ba Sing Se...would his demons still torment him so much?

017: Magic  
She had been pulled out of the crowd again, another Fire Bending Magician choosing her to be his bound princess. Sweat dribbled down her masked face as she watched the Fire Dragon whirled over her head, preparing for a dive. Unexpectedly a voice came into her ear, the magician leaning over her. "Do you trust me?" Her attention was pulled away from the dragon, instead focusing on the man, bandages swathed thickly around the left side of his face. There was no mistaking the gleam in his visible eye though and under her mask she smiled. "With my life Zuko." She whispered back. At her words he snapped his hand back, releasing the fire leash that held the dragon from her.

018: Coma  
She placed a hand against his forehead, wishing that she could will life into a person as easily as she controlled water. She should have studied her healing harder...rather then focus solely on fighting.

019: Waiting  
She folded her hands and placed them on her knees. He would come for her. She stared out from the bars patiently. He would come for her. She took the beatings, the insults and the humiliation with the surprising dignity of a true princess, causing the guards to scratch their heads under their helmets and exchange looks. She kept smiling very faintly to herself. Her prince would come for her.

020: Bread  
He tried not to watch too anxiously, or even show that he cared too much about what she thought, as she carefully took a bite of the bread that he had made and chewed slowly before swallowing. Her smile was pained but she didn't criticize it...after all no one else had ever made breakfast so she didn't have too.

021: Transparent  
In this light the material that made up her red skirt was nearly see-through, making the shape of her legs painfully (beautifully) obvious. Zuko looked away before his blush gave him away. He hadn't been staring, he reminded himself, his face was only red from too much sun.

022: Mellow  
It had been years since either of them had been seen by their families and the difference was obvious and amazing. In place of the bitter, angry teenager was a calm, contented man and instead of the hot-headed, naive girl there stood a mature, wise woman. Soon after their reappearance however it became clear that each other, more then the years, was what had triggered the positive changes in each other.

023: Search  
He tightened his grip on her hands, studying her face for any crack, any crevice that might possibly show how she really felt about what she had said. There...in the back of her eyes there was doubt and uncertainly...he knew it was echoed in his eyes. However he took a deep breath and smiled for her, "I hope you and Aang are going to be happy together." She nodded stiffly, "You and Mai too...I hope you're both happy..."

024: Shield  
Aang had failed at the last minute and they were the only two left. Her shoulders shuddered with sobs for her lost friends and family as he wrapped his arms around her in a tight hug. "I...know your father and brother are gone, Katara, but I'm going to take care of you now."

025: Cleansed  
"I'm sorry Zuko...I guess the Spirit Water can't heal scars." Her voice was soft, regretful, as she recapped the bottle. "It's alright." He caught one of her hands, smiling softly without any regret, "It's already healed."

026: Shooting Star  
They lay side by side as they watched the meteors overhead, the rest of their friends off to the side. Their hands found each other and pressed together as they stared above and wished on every falling star they saw, knowing that they were running out of time for any of them to come true.

027: Friend  
For a brief moment his arms tightened around her waist and then loosened as she stepped back and smiled. She was grateful for him, grateful that he had understood the loss of her mother enough that he would be willing to help her avenge it. They weren't lovers or anything...but they were no longer enemies. They had reached a middle ground.

028: Spirit  
Underneath the scars and the frowns and angry words she saw something that no one else, except his uncle, saw in Zuko. She saw the man who stared out from the villain's eyes...and she fell in love with him.

029: Question  
"Tell me about her." The voice from the Fire Bender who sat beside her caught her off guard and she blinked. Not even Aang had asked to hear about her mother before.

030: Broken  
She couldn't stop the small sob as she picked up the stained ribbon and fragments of the pendant from the mud. It was her mother's necklace...and now it was gone. And it wasn't like when she had lost in on the Fire Nation prison vessel and Zuko had found it...then it had just been missing and Aang had gotten it back for her. This time it was really gone...and not even the Avatar could fix it. Her eyes blurred from tears and she started to cry harder. Suddenly a hand became clear through her watery vision, holding several shards of blue and she found herself staring into sympathetic gold eyes. "Here...let me help you."

031: Practical  
"I know it's nothing elaborate." He held out the water skin toward her. "But I noticed that your old one was cracking." He trailed off almost shyly and she smiled, taking the skin. "Thank you Zuko."

032: Massage  
She moaned softly as he placed warm hands, but not sweaty, against her shoulders and began to knead the hard muscles. "Maybe I'll keep you around," She murmured sleepily, "You're pretty useful."

033: Disaster  
She should have known better...letting Zuko and Sokka go anywhere alone was stupid! And letting them go fishing or hunting or anything even remotely "manly" was insane! That was why she wasn't surprised when they came back from a fishing trip (luckily this one was real as evidence by the six large fish that each man had) scrapped, bleeding and with what looked like several hooks embedded in hair, skin and shirts. Instead she just shook her head at her boyfriend and older brother. "I swear...the two of you shouldn't be let out of the house...you're walking disaster areas!"

034: Subtle  
He sniffed the air again slightly, recognizing the faint scent of sea water. It was out of place here...they were in the middle of the farming country of the Fire Nation. It shouldn't smell like the sea. When Katara passed by though he understood and smiled. A daughter of water would always smell like her element.

035: Beach  
Coming up behind Zuko Katara placed a light hand on his shoulder, her attention seemingly focused on the surf. Zuko glanced at her, his meditative gaze broken, before he smiled slightly. Maybe Azula's advisors were right...maybe Ember Island did wear away a person's edges until only the heart of the person was left behind.

036: Compromise  
Azula smiled cruelly, her sanity returning long enough to recognize the Water Bender and the weakness that she represented. If Zuzu brought her here...she meant something to him. She shifted her stance; pointing two fingers at the girl as power began to crackle inside of her...Zuzu had to stop leaving chinks in his armor.

037: Contempt  
He had shown disrespect for his father and his nation when he had stood up in defense of a battalion of innocent men. She had shown disobedience for her entire culture when she challenged Master Pakku to a duel, fighting for the right of women in the Water Tribes. They both held tradition at arm's length...they couldn't afford to feel hatred for each other too.

038: Lies  
"I need the Avatar to regain something that I lost. My honor." She turned her face away from the boy, trying to drown out his words. How could she listen to him? He was a monster...he wanted to destroy Aang...he was -evil-. He didn't want his honor back...he only wanted another prize for his trophy wall.

039: Quake  
Her shivering was so intense that she couldn't stop her teeth from clacking together, her body had forgotten about the cold in her time away from home, but it suddenly stopped as a heavy smelling ostrich-horse blanket settled over her shoulders. "I know it smells but it's the only thing I could find." Zuko's voice informed her from behind.

040: Turn Away  
Mai placed her hand on Zuko's arm, helping him into his robe and Katara turned her face away from them, suddenly unable to bear the sight of another woman near Zuko.

041: Dance  
No one seemed overly surprised when Zuko reinstated dancing into the Nation's schools and even went so far as to say that parties should be allowed within reasonable limits. No one however thought that they would ever see -him- dancing anywhere. Until the Fire Lily festival where he was seen by nearly his entire court, dancing with the regular commoners from the city, his attention fully on his Ambassador from the Southern Water tribe. The elders of the court groaned in dismay...this behavior of his had to be her fault...that was what happened when you brought Water Tribe people into civilization.

042: Shackles (companion to #19 )  
As quickly as he could work he removed the rust covered metal from her wrists, his mouth begging for forgiveness from her and spilling apologies at the same time. "I'm so sorry Katara...I should have come sooner...I shouldn't have left you in here...I should have realized you were locked in here before this."

043: Played For a Fool  
When she had first seen him show up during their fight with Azula she had been surprised but hopeful. Had he come to help them? Then her hopes had crumbled at her feet when he had suddenly attacked, instead of saved, them. She had offered her most precious secret, the vial of Spirit Water, to him and she had let him into the most secret place of her heart where even Sokka wasn't allowed...and this was how he thanked her? She felt cheap and she felt used...and above all else she felt betrayed. He had just been using her...in the future she would remember and she would be wary of letting -anyone- near her heart again.

044: Lonely Road  
People always said that it was lonely at the top...and now he believed them. He wanted to marry her...she was the only one that he wanted. But she wouldn't...concern for his station, concern for what his court would say if he married a Water Tribe peasant. He sighed, rubbing at his temples. Why couldn't she ever be selfish for a change and do what she wanted, instead of what was best for the world?

045: Killing  
He had never meant to hurt her, had never -wanted- to hurt her, but he had. She was an innocent, not involved with the fight that stood solely between himself and the Avatar and he had never wanted to include her, his honor wouldn't have let him. However he didn't realize until much later how much pain his relentless hunting of Aang had put her through.

046: Repeat  
"Father." Zuko pronounced the word again, looking down into the identical faces of the twins. "Try it." He urged, "Try saying 'father'." Watching from behind the door-frame Katara pressed a hand against her mouth to stifle the giggles. Who knew the great Fire Lord could be such a softie?

047: Funeral  
She was the only one who knew that underneath the calm mask he was going to pieces as the flames licked at the pyre. Later on, in the solitude of his own rooms, he confided in her. "Ever since my mom disappeared my uncle was always the one who was there for me...and now he's gone too."

048: Awkward  
A shadow falling over the pool of water was her only warning that someone was coming into the bathing area. She gasped slightly and lunged for her shirt, wrapping it around her chest, hiding her breast bindings. A surprised step backwards and a voice, deeper then Aang's, and stumbling and tripping over his words in embarrassment, reached her. "I-I-I'm sorry...I didn't realize you where over here Katara! Sokka said that you had gone to bed!" She flushed, looking down at the water, seeing the wavering reflection of the shirtless prince behind her. They really needed to create separate bathrooms for guys and girls.

049: Union  
"Here...this is the engagement symbol of my people." He held out the delicate gold bracelet to her, the rubies on it glinting in the evening air. Katara took it softly, looking at him curiously as she studied the piece of jewelry. "And this," He continued, "Is the engagement symbol of -your- people." His other hand held a necklace with a carefully carved pendant bearing the joined symbols of both of their worlds. It was obvious that he had given it much of his attention and love. "Zuko?" She held both pieces of jewelry, her eyes full of questions. His hands now empty he almost shyly tucked them behind his back, "Will you accept these Katara? Will you marry me?"

050: Happy Birthday To You  
He wasn't sure how she had found out...unless she had hounded his uncle to find out which was very likely. That was the only explanation that he could think of for the small package laying on his pillow. A sound from his doorway made him turn and Katara stood there, shifting nervously. "I know it's not much...but I heard it was your birthday Zuko."


End file.
